Zoo Station Tribute Band Promotional
About the Zoo Station Tribute Band
By Chelsea Andrus
With the 360 tour well underway, many U2 fans are finding themselves discontent with the set list. “They aren’t playing ‘Acrobat’ or ‘Lady With the Spinning Head’! WHY THE HELL NOT?!?! It would fit perfectly into the set!” While I can sympathize with this feeling, I also have found a solution. Their name is Zoo Station.
Zoo Station was formed in 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area and is made up of Adamesque, Barely Larry, Bonalmost and The Sledge. I’m sure you can figure out what instruments they play by the names…but each member of the group brings a unique experience that most U2 fans never got to witness; beloved U2 rarities, played in an intimate setting. Many of us were not old enough or never got the chance to witness songs like “Rejoice” or “Surrender” live, but through Zoo Station, you can. With sets comprising of b-sides like “Luminous Times” or “Spanish Eyes” through to the hits “Pride” or “Vertigo”, really showcase the band’s ability to deliver a wide range of different sounds in one night with no elaborate set changes. Oh, and did I mention they were voted Best Cover Band by SF Weekly in 2007 and 2008? Because that’s kinda important.
Bonalmost prowls the stage with the swagger of a young Bono Vox, flirting with the ladies and climbing onto chairs, never missing a word. Bono would be jealous of Bonalmost’s ability to remember the words! Adamesque carries Adam’s cool demeanor on stage (and also delivers lead vocals on tunes like “Party Girl”) and Barely Larry’s driving drums are in tune with Larry himself. And The Sledge. Any fan of music can tell a U2 song by the sound of The Edge’s guitar and The Sledge has done his homework…if you close your eyes, you can barely tell the difference between the two. Maybe it’s the beanie… Either way, it’s clear that all four members of Zoo Station have spent many hours perfecting their delivery of these songs that we all love, and they obviously do too.
Zoo Station has also been known to do a bit of time traveling. They occasionally do shows dedicated to one album or U2 era. They’ve done Joshua Tree, a rehashing of the infamous Live at Red Rocks gig and even performed as The Dalton Brothers. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is.
Going to a live Zoo Station show is guaranteed to be fun for any U2 fan, regardless of your favorite album. It’s a great alternative to The Real Thing and if you’re still pissed off at U2 for not playing your favorite tune on the 360 Tour, you can always ask Zoo Station (nicely) if they’ll play it for you. If you find yourself on the West Coast, look them up. And tell them Chelsea sent you.
Links to Zoo Station:
http://www.zoostation-online.com
http://www.facebook.com/zoostationsf
http://www.myspace.com/zoostationsf
http://twitter.com/zoostationsf
Videos:
Images:
All photos are © 2009 Justin Schlesinger